IFFJK outcome of Modi-Shah’s efforts to restore peace in Kashmir, they worked to erase Kashmir’s image of stone-pelting, hartals, killings: Dr Abhijeet Jasrotia

• I urge Vindhu Vinood Chopra to shoot Bhagam Bhaag 2 at Nawae Subh, give lead roles to Dr Farooq, Omar, Sakina: Altaf Thakur

SRINAGAR: BJP J&K spokesperson Dr Abhijeet Jasrotia on Tuesday said the International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK), being held in Kashmir, was the outcome of what he described as the “countless efforts” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to bring peace, prosperity and development to Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a press conference, Jasrotia said the Centre had worked to change the narrative surrounding Kashmir, which for years, according to him, had been associated with stone-pelting, hartals, killings, protests and violence.

“Modi and Shah worked to remove the tag that Kashmir had acquired over the years. Today, an international film festival is being organised here, which itself shows how much the situation has changed,” he said.

Jasrotia also referred to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s acknowledgement that peace was prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the film festival was among the visible outcomes of the changed atmosphere.

“If Omar Abdullah himself admits that peace is prevailing in J&K, I want to ask him what he has done in the last several years. What has he contributed towards creating this atmosphere?” Jasrotia asked.

He alleged that Kashmir had suffered immensely because of the political mistakes of the National Conference, particularly the controversy surrounding the 1987 Assembly elections, which, he said, had contributed to alienation and subsequent turmoil in the region.

Jasrotia also referred to the BJP’s protest in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk against what he described as the failures of the NC government, saying the party would continue to raise issues concerning the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the transformation witnessed in Kashmir should be viewed in the context of developments since 2019, arguing that the region had subsequently hosted major international events and witnessed increased national and international attention.

Meanwhile, BJP J&K spokesperson Altaf Thakur said the International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir was linked to decisions taken after 2019, which, he claimed, paved the way for a series of major events in the region.

Thakur said the hosting of the G20 summit in Kashmir and the subsequent arrival of international sporting events demonstrated that Jammu and Kashmir was increasingly being projected as a destination for global events. He appealed to filmmakers to make greater use of Kashmir’s landscapes and locations for film shoots.

Taking a lighter political swipe at the National Conference leadership, Thakur urged filmmakers, particularly director Vidhu Vinod Chopra, to consider shooting at the NC headquarters at Nawa-e-Subah and give Dr Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Sakina Itoo an opportunity to feature in a proposed Bhagam Bhag 2. “They are the best actors, as they performed very well at Jantar Mantar too,” Thakur said, referring to the NC’s political activities there.